The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Schizachyrium scoparium and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name. ‘Twilight Zone’, the “new cultivar” and “the new plant.” ‘Twilight Zone’ represents a new cultivar of little bluestem, an ornamental grass grown for landscape use. The new plant was a selection of the United States Department of Agriculture germplasm Germplasm Resources Information Network Accession PI 216767 H-V 265.
The inventor initially selected the new cultivar, in a full-sun trial field of a wholesale nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA. The seedling was selected among several thousand other seedlings collected from open pollinations of numerous cultivars and selections. Prior to planting in the open field the seedlings were greenhouse grown in plugs in the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. in 2011. Preliminary evaluation was in the fall of 2011, and final evaluation and selection of ‘Twilight Zone’ was performed in fall of 2013.
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’ has been successfully propagated by culm division at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. since the spring of 2011 and since 2012 by sterile plant tissue culture shoot division. The result asexually propagated plants have remained stable and true to type for all traits of the original plant in successive generations.